Early Protestant Missionary Efforts in the Philippines
EARLY PROTESTANT MISSIONARY EFFORTS
IN THE PHILIPPINES:
SOME INTERCULTURAL PROBLEMS1
1. Introduction
As a trained social anthropologist, I would like to present the findings of a three-year research on the early impact of Protestant missionary efforts at the turn of the last century. Some of these could be useful not only to Filipinos but also to other Asian churches as we reflect on the future of Christian mission in Asia.
It is important for us to grasp the fact that what we call Christianity is really a product of our interaction with the formal system, like the biblical text, and culture as controlling context in the process of translation. We are aware from the writings of Andrew Walls that Christianity is a vernacular faith.2 Whether we are conscious of it or not, we are constantly contextualizing the Christian faith. This is in stark contrast with Islam where "translation" is not permitted, whether in
1 An earlier version was presented in the International Symposium on Asian Mission, Manila, Jan 2002, and this revised version was published in Wonsuk Ma & Julie Ma, eds., Asian Church and God's Mission: Studies Presented in the International Symposium on Asian Mission in Manila, Jan 2002 (Manila: OMF/MWM, 2003).
* Melba Padilla MAGGAY (Ph.D., isacc@mozcom.com), a Filipino Social Anthropologist, is Director of Institute of Institute for Studies in Asian Church and Culture (ISACC), Manila, Philippines.
2 Andrew F. Walls, "Old Athens and New Jerusalem: Some Signposts for Christian Scholarship in the Early History of Mission Studies," International Bulletin of Missionary Research 21:4 (Oct. 1997), pp. 146-53.
120 Journal of Asian Mission 5:1 (2003) language or culture. Muslims have to understand Arabic to be truly Islamic. It is not an accident that Christianity is always engaged in translation. The incarnational nature of the Christian faith demands it.
It is also important to realize that what we call "folk" religions or "popular" religions are
IN THE PHILIPPINES:
SOME INTERCULTURAL PROBLEMS1
1. Introduction
As a trained social anthropologist, I would like to present the findings of a three-year research on the early impact of Protestant missionary efforts at the turn of the last century. Some of these could be useful not only to Filipinos but also to other Asian churches as we reflect on the future of Christian mission in Asia.
It is important for us to grasp the fact that what we call Christianity is really a product of our interaction with the formal system, like the biblical text, and culture as controlling context in the process of translation. We are aware from the writings of Andrew Walls that Christianity is a vernacular faith.2 Whether we are conscious of it or not, we are constantly contextualizing the Christian faith. This is in stark contrast with Islam where "translation" is not permitted, whether in
1 An earlier version was presented in the International Symposium on Asian Mission, Manila, Jan 2002, and this revised version was published in Wonsuk Ma & Julie Ma, eds., Asian Church and God's Mission: Studies Presented in the International Symposium on Asian Mission in Manila, Jan 2002 (Manila: OMF/MWM, 2003).
* Melba Padilla MAGGAY (Ph.D., isacc@mozcom.com), a Filipino Social Anthropologist, is Director of Institute of Institute for Studies in Asian Church and Culture (ISACC), Manila, Philippines.
2 Andrew F. Walls, "Old Athens and New Jerusalem: Some Signposts for Christian Scholarship in the Early History of Mission Studies," International Bulletin of Missionary Research 21:4 (Oct. 1997), pp. 146-53.
120 Journal of Asian Mission 5:1 (2003) language or culture. Muslims have to understand Arabic to be truly Islamic. It is not an accident that Christianity is always engaged in translation. The incarnational nature of the Christian faith demands it.
It is also important to realize that what we call "folk" religions or "popular" religions are